Organizing and creating more space for the classroom

This last week I haven't had my girls that I babysit. I have been busy with the final touches of our schedule and preparation for next year. I think I beat my laminating record from the previous year. We have a teacher resource center here in town for the public school teachers and parents. They have some supplies that are very reasonable and a laminater. I have a laminater but, every year before school starts I go and laminate anything new that needs it for the year there. It is not as thick of sheets as my home one. It's a lot cheaper (.20' for regular and poster size is .40') This year I laminated 88' of stuff. That is not counting what I did at home over the summer that I wanted a thicker sheet on. I made a lot of new folder games for Little Man and Princess for preschool.

Organizing and creating more space for the classroom. Every summer I am amazed at all the things that have accumulated in the classroom. I find that I always have to be more creative to fit it all in. I can now say that it is official- every wall is filled with some kind of shelf or plastic container. I guess next year I will have to go up higher or hang it from the ceiling! Something fun to do would be to knock down the wall that we just built two years ago and make it larger! Just joking, don't want my father-in-law to worry to much about my crazy ideal. Well, maybe I am not joking! Here are a few pictures of some of the storage solutions.

I wanted quick and easy access to the flashcards that we use often. I used my favorite hooks 3M command hooks and put them on the inside of the computer desk. I have them on both sides of my corner desk. All the flashcards I  like to punch holes in them and put them on metal rings. I despise having to put them in order all the time and to pick them up. You will see them in a larger picture next. The best part is when we are done with the flashcards I can take the hooks down. You can see why I like the hooks, they go away!

I even found enough of room to fit more plastic containers under the computer desk. We can still pull up a chair to use the computer. Can you see my hooks? The container on the left are actually 3 separate drawers that are stackable. The bottom drawer is my math container. I have my mini clocks, Geo-boards, play money, counters, and odds and ends math manipulative's.

In the middle drawer which I have dubbed the Language Arts bin. I have plastic letters stored and separated in a bead container. Then we have phono-phones, timer, a few odds and ends and All About Spelling markers. I put them in a Gerber plastic baby food container. Then last item is a land phone that we practice using the phone with.

The top drawer holds all the items that I use with the Handwriting Without Tears. The black container next to the computer desk is and old paper shredder bin that has long been gone. I put the easel, mini dry erase boards, chalk boards, Bugs wedge for sitting, and an air pump for Bug's ball chair.

Inside the crates I have file folders. The bottom one is where I will store all the completed school papers for the year. I have it separated by subject and kids. When the school year is over it will go in storage. The top crate is for all the file folder games that we use. They slide out of the bottom with ease. Then I labeled all the plastic containers on the outside for my sanity sake.

This was my bargain find at the Office Depot. I picked it up for under $20.00. It was slightly damaged and I had a coupon for 15% off and then used my teachers card. I had to use some extra glue to put it together. Every thing has its own place. On top I put the shelf I took off the computer shelf that held the monitor. I am not so sure about it at this time. I just couldn't see tossing it. We will have to see if it comes in handy. I have put some DVD,s and Cd's in it and a few odds and ends since this picture has been taken.

I would love to hear new ideals of how you store things to make your homeschool run smoother.

May the Lord bless you and keep you this day. Blessings.